


All through the Night

by Fabrisse



Category: The Hour
Genre: F/M, Misses Clause Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 19:18:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The immediate aftermath of season 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All through the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [harborshore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/harborshore/gifts).



Bel screamed when she saw him. She couldn’t help it. It never occurred to her that Freddie could be broken, not mentally and not physically, but all she could see at this moment was a broken body lying in front of the studio.

She reached for Freddie’s hand and heard him call her ‘Moneypenny,’ before she was pushed out of the way by Lix who said, “If you’re just going to sit there, get out of the way.”

Firm hands gripped her shoulders and Randall said quietly, “Stand here where he can see you. That will give him hope.”

Bel found she couldn’t stop trembling and said, “I don’t want a world without him.”

Randall took her hand. “It may not come to that, but if it does, then you’ll go on and change the world because that’s what he wants to do.”

She turned to him, stricken, and said, “No. He can’t go.”

Lix yelled, “Where’s the bloody ambulance?”

***   
Sissy came by twice a day with the information she needed to keep the show going. Randall was covering the timings and the broadcast, but he was letting her judge the stories. He understood that having some kind of work was keeping her sane.

Lix walked up with briefcase in her hand and said, “I came instead of Sissy because I want to talk to you.”

“No, you can’t have the Chancellor’s resignation. Isaac’s already preparing it for Hector.”

“Have you slept? I mean really put your head down and gotten a solid eight hours?”

Bel looked at her. “Freddie’s sleeping for both of us right now. Why?”

“Because you wouldn’t usually ask such a bloody stupid question.”

“Sorry,” Bel said.

“Look, there’s going to be a meeting on January 15 about the nuclear question. It’s civilians, but they’re civilians with names.”

Bel said, “I thought we covered this with the interview last week. And the J.B. Priestley article was back in November. It’s hardly current.”

“Bertrand Russell, Julian Huxley, canons and bishops -- when the atheists and the religious decide to work together, it’s bigger than we’ve already covered. But that’s not the angle I’m interested in. What does this kind of pressure do to the governments involved? I want to talk to the Americans, at least. Actually, I want to talk to as many embassies as I can.”

Bel closed her eyes and nodded. “I assume Randall’s said no already.”

Lix said, “He doesn’t think the time is right, wants to wait until it’s bigger.”

Bel said, “By then, everyone will have it. And I doubt they’ll be covering the international side. It won’t be this week. If you can get the Soviets to comment on the record, as well as the Americans, then attend the meeting and we’ll run it the week after. I want at least three different countries -- not the French or Germans -- commenting as well.”

“I just wanted a shot at it. I think this will be big. I still know someone who has Soviet contacts. I’ll work on getting Kim to set up an on-record meeting.”

“Two weeks. If you don’t have it by then, move on.”

Lix nodded. “How is he?”

“One of the nurses told me you saved his life.”

“He's a fighter. I just know some basic stuff from when I was in Spain. We had to doctor ourselves.”

“The lungs were punctured. That’s what’s giving them the most trouble. One punctured lung is bad, and the broken ribs aren’t helping, but two? That’s why they’re keeping him in an oxygen tent.”

“Is he sedated?”

“He’s in so much pain when he wakes up. They give him morphine as soon as they’ve checked him.”

Lix said, “Go home. Sleep. Bathe. Put on something warmer. Sleep again. Come back tomorrow, or even better, the day after.”

“He needs me.”

“Not right now, he doesn’t. But he’s going to. Find out from the doctors when they’re likely to let him really stay awake. Talk to Randall about taking some time, but right now, this instant, you need to sleep and eat and pull yourself together so that you’re ready for when he does need you.” Lix shook her head. “You said I saved him. I wasn’t the one he was looking at the whole time. You gave him something to live _for_ and if you walk in there looking a mess and unable to cope, it won’t help him at all.”

Bel shook her head. 

Lix said, “I’ll be back in half a mo.”

Ten minutes later she came back and said, “I’m staying until nine tonight. Randall’s taking the night shift and Sissy and Isaac are splitting up tomorrow. Hector will take tomorrow night’s shift. If anything happens, we will call you, but I’m having the nurses put you into a cab so you can go home and take my advice.”

“Lix, I…”

“We’re worried about both of you. Now put on your coat. Do you have money for the taxi?”

Bel sighed. “Yes, yes I do.”

***   
Most of the office figured out ways to take some of their work to the hospital. Bel took her shifts, but over the next week, she was slowly returning to her usual life, even if it felt bereft without being able to talk with her best friend.

***   
The phone was ringing as she let herself into the flat. 

Lix’s voice came rushing through when she picked up. “He’s awake, really awake. The doctors have said no visitors until tomorrow. I just got to say ‘hullo,’ but from eight tomorrow morning, you can see him, Bel. He’s back.”

A sob wrenched from her, “Freddie’s all right.”

Lix dropped her voice to a soothing hush. “Yes. He’ll mend. It may take some time, but he’ll mend.”

“I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“It’s relief, darling. I know it won’t be easy, but sleep tonight. Don’t have any wine because you want to be level headed, but sleep and be here tomorrow when he wakes up again.” She paused to let the weeping subside a little. “I’ve already spoken to Randall. You have the rest of the week off. Have lunch with him on Friday, and he’ll see from there.”

“You called Randall first?”

Lix said, “No. I talked to him about it last week. That you were to have a week off when Freddie woke up.”

“Oh, Lix. Thank you. Thank Randall.”

“I will. Go eat and sleep. He’ll be here in the morning.”

***   
The next morning she got out of bed extremely early and went down to Covent Garden. She bought hothouse grapes and oranges to take with her. 

He looked pale and weak propped up on the pillows, but he was breathing without help. She nearly dropped her packages she was so thrilled to see him.

Freddie turned to the sound of the opening door and smiled. He raised his hand a little weakly and said, “There’s my Bel.”

Bel smiled back and said, “It’s good that you’re home.”


End file.
